This invention relates to an order control apparatus for use in a production control system and, in particular, to an order control apparatus for use in developing order information, relating to an ordered product, into manufacture instruction information.
A production control system utilizing a production order number and another production control system based on material requirement planning (abbreviated to MRP) are well known in the art. For example, such systems are disclosed in Japanese Patent Prepublications (A) Nos. 30953/1992, 251050/1987, and 342241/1993.
This invention Is most suitable for use in the production control system utilizing the production order number. However, this invention it also applicable to the MRP-based production control system, as will later be described.
A conventional order control apparatus for use in the production control system utilizing a production order number comprises an Item information memory area, a structure information memory area, and an order memory area. The item information memory area stores, in correspondence to each of the item numbers representative of products items, each item information representative of a manufacturing feature of each of the products. Likewise, the structure information memory area stores, in correspondence to each of the item numbers, each structure information relating to component parts of each of the products. The order memory area stores, upon receiving an order number representative of an ordered product and an ordered item number representative of an item of the ordered product, and stores the information as order information.
More specifically, the item information memory area stores, in correspondence to each of the item numbers, the lead time of each of the products and the name of each of the products as item information. The lead time is equivalent in meaning to a time interval required to manufacture each product. The structure information memory area stores, as structure information, component item numbers representative of component items of the component parts of each of the products, and unit amounts of the component parts of each of the products in correspondence to each parent item number. The unit amount is equivalent in meaning to the number of each of the component items required in manufacturing a single product in the manner which will become clear as the description proceeds.
The above-mentioned conventional order control apparatus stores in the order memory area the order information received from an input unit and manages only the order information independently of the item information and the structure information.
Thus, the order information is not related to the item information and the structure information corresponding thereto. Every time new order information is supplied from the input unit, the order control apparatus must request that the input unit provide the item information and the structure information corresponding to the new order information. In this arrangement, it is necessary to input the item information and the structure information by an operator by using the input unit.
After the item information and the structure information are stored in the item information memory area and the structure information memory area, respectively, the order control apparatus stores the order information in the order memory area and makes an order developing section execute calculations as required. The order developing section thereby produces manufacture instruction information.
In the above-described conventional order control apparatus, the order information is not related to the item information and the structure information corresponding thereto. For example, in case of an individual production order in which a product specification is determined by the order, it is necessary for the input unit to re-enter the item information and the structure information so as to meet the specification determined by each order.